Pick Your Poison

Reaction 2.1

[Monday, October 25, 2010]

The past four days have been eventful. Tattletale has been feeding Trainwreck more targets for the crew to hit every evening in exchange for a cut of the cold hard cash each raid comes up with in dead drops. The first one was a freebie to prove her validity.

Of course, the ABB is on high alert, aware that we're gunning for them, and that we're not even caring for something as tenuous as territory either. We're just showing up at random, robbing them blind, incapacitating or killing their members, and vanishing like a fart on the wind. This basically meant, even on the lookout, the Creepers caught them off guard first, and then the Jeepers swept through. At best, only Mush or Trainwreck have had to get directly involved, and usually just for making an opening.

With these guerilla tactics the Merchants have had a huge surge in funds, materials, weapons, and unfortunately, product.

Now that we have some cash to speak of not meant for operations, I had Rahj go to a hardware store and buy several bags of fiberglass insulation to make fire-resistant Balcoat so our guys weren't walking torches waiting to happen. I would have asked him to buy stone wool or carbon fiber if they both weren't ungodly expensive but it would definitely be an improvement. This also meant my Balcoat was commercially viable to sell. So we had over a ton of drugs stockpiled we had no idea what to do with aside from begrudgingly keep peddling to buyers, but only in small doses for a low cost, informing customers we were trying to reduce addiction and overdose risks, excusing it as being bad for business in the long term.

Really, everyone saw through the bullshit, it was just a dirty facade to keep up. The fact the Merchants weren't just ragged rats on street corners or strung-out rapists and murderers was catching on, the sudden shift a shock to the city. Something I noticed quite acutely even here from the way everyone was looking at the known Merchants in the halls of WInslow as I went to my locker for the start of the day.

With several people both male and female having taken just one dose of Surge for a weekly regimen, I had enough data to see it was more stable and less prone to spiking the libido, so I took a serving this morning with breakfast. But since it had already circulated through the gang, a lot of them even buying their own whey powder for me to turn into Surge, some people weren't content with the slower process. So people noticed when somebody gained several pounds of muscle and got taller over a weekend.

One of the Surge users who came to my school was clearly living up the attention, he had been scrawny and unusually short before, now he looked normal, healthy. Others too were clearly taking it daily, one girl was obviously using it for the other effects if her low-cut top and constant passes at a clearly uncomfortable jock meant anything. I knew this would happen, but since I was taking it slow, hopefully I could write it off as a growth spurt that was natural at my age.

I went to my locker, and paused at seeing something unusual.

"Hey bitch." Sophia Hess growled at me, she was leaning against my locker.

"Odd, I'm not wearing a mirror." I dryly sassed, I was getting better at this.

"Fuck you. You got me a week of hearing Quinlan drone on and on about some dumb shit about some dumb no-name math-whatever." Ah, I knew she would be vindictive about this, even if it was only for ten minute intervals, Mr. Quinlan was a torment you could only handle in so many doses a day.

"Unusual conclusion. I believe it was you who got yourself such a punishment." I rebutted, and she looked as if she wanted to repeat last Monday, but clearly she was unwilling to face further punishment for her actions.

"So you think you've got balls huh?" Hess demanded with a leer, and I made a show of sucking in my gut and pretending to peer down my pants. "God, you are a fucking comedian."

"I try." Really, I do. This is so hard, I have to pay attention to every single detail.

"Whatever, just stay away from Hebert-."

"No." I interrupted, I wasn't going to let her even think I would hear out such a demand.

"Excuse me?" Hess spat, clearly incensed even further by my immediate refusal.

"Taylor is an old friend. Too long have I left her to her suffering. Even if she does not want it, I owe her that much." And her father, still haven't gotten him or any member of the Dockworker's Union to hear one of our guys out. We may be making good sales of Balcoat shirts at the Lord Street Market, but we weren't making enough to replace our old source of income just yet, and we all doubted the PRT would ignore the rumors of a stall in the market selling bulletproof clothes for long.

"Well this is the first I've fucking heard of this! Emma didn't mention anything like that." Hess hissed, and I made the effort of rolling my eyes. Emma was Taylor's 'bestie', I was a friend mostly by association at worst, and the awkward only-male-friend at best. So obviously Emma wouldn't even remember if Taylor had told her about me at some point if it wasn't interesting at the time, and back then I don't think boys were on their minds.

"Our fathers were friends who worked together for the Union." I answered simply, I wasn't going to give Hess of all people the whole story, let her stew. "Now if you would move aside, I have to get my science textbook." The moment a vicious smile broke on her face, I knew that wasn't going to happen.

"Oh, sure. Let me just get going." She left, heading towards her usual haunts, and I briskly strode to the locker, pounded on it, and saw what I expected.

The cracked mirror was completely shattered, glass riddled all of my books and backpack, and what looked like dark cola was soaked into them as well as the rest of the contents. I ignored the snickers of some of Hess's outlier associates, and shrugged, slamming the door shut like I always had to. It wasn't much of a loss. I didn't share any classes at all with Hess or her friends, and the pigeons were too small to think of messing with me, being big for my age was a boon for that. So that meant I could just borrow an in-class copy, each class had heavily dog-eared and defaced copies of their required textbooks I could easily do my work with, I'm not too proud to use the 'budget books'.

But this also meant Hess was willing to branch out, start targeting me now that I've displayed I am willing to defy her and her friends.

Good.

Let's see how well they can handle splitting their attention as well as dealing with a return campaign. If the staff of Winslow cannot police their own students, it's time the students did it themselves.

[Pick Your Poison]

I waited at the door to the third-floor restrooms. It was lunchtime and I had made haste to where the Rats have told me Taylor hides for lunch to avoid bullying in the cafeteria. It was a reasonable location, and easily accessible, but I wasn't going to let her keep hiding in a toilet. Unsanitary. In the boy's room alone I could identify numerous sources I could easily make wretched pathogens with. And a poorly disguised coke stain on the counter.

"W-what're you doing here?" I heard Taylor stutter, and I turned to face her calm as I ever am, and she looked like a frightened rabbit about to bolt.

"I'm here to show you a much better place to hide than some filthy restroom." I held up my own paper bag lunch to provide that I wanted to eat lunch with her, and she looked wary, unwilling to outright take me at my word.

"H-how do I know you're not gonna…" Taylor trailed off, what does she-oh. Oh. No. Stop that train of thought.

"My plans are entirely platonic and non-malicious Taylor. I've been avoiding you since you warned me off when we started going to this dump of a school and Emma turned traitor on you. I'm done with that." I nodded my head behind me, and began walking away. I wasn't disappointed to hear her footsteps following after a few seconds.

"S-so where else could I hide?" Taylor asked nervously, but I didn't answer as I began to ascend the last flight of stairs. "U-um, Andrew. That's the roof. We're not allowed up there."

"Neither are the roaches, but you see them everywhere anyhow." I was alluding to WInslow's completely inept faculty and inability to even maintain standard code. I had no clue how they avoided trouble for it, but the Rats were looking into snitching to several city management offices who were responsible for keeping schools to code. I planned to make Winslow's faculty feel the hot-seat they've set up for themselves quite acutely.

We reached the door at the top, and all I did was bump the supposed-to-be-locked door with my belly, and it swung open freely. I had asked the Rats to get someone up here and grease the door so it wouldn't screech and alert anyone any more than any other door. Also the latch was broken, it only stayed closed despite wind because of a pen someone lodges into the open latch. "H-how do you know about this?"

"Some associates of mine, who are easily forgotten, tend to hear and see things most people don't think about, or realize." I alluded. I wasn't going to hide everything from her, Taylor was a good person, a little naive maybe, but she was still smart. I wasn't going to outright deny any involvement with a group and have it blow up in my face later.

"O-oh…." This clearly disheartened her, but I sat down on the cold gravel of the roof, and caving to my unintended peer pressure, she hesitantly followed.

"You don't need to stay if you don't want to Taylor. If my being affiliated with any one group unnerves you, I could leave you to your new hiding place." I offered, and she looked surprised as she waved her hands.

"N-no, it's fine! It's just...after what happened to your dad I thought…." Taylor trailed off again, not willing to outright say anything on the subject.

"A reasonable conclusion to draw Taylor. One I would normally agree with. But suffice to say, I didn't have a choice." I admitted, press-ganging wasn't unheard of or even uncommon, so she quickly looked at me in pity rather than trepidation. "Do not pity me however, I have made the best of my situation." I opened my paper bag, taking out a muffin I baked this morning.

"Sorry. I just don't know how to really...talk to anyone anymore I guess." My old friend admitted, and I nodded as I took a bite. "Actually...you don't sound like you used to either." Taylor noted, and I purposefully rolled my eyes.

"What gave it away? My dry tone? Or my lack of expression?" I needed a sounding board outside the crew. Everyone kept saying I was doing 'better' but they only knew me as I am, never from how I was before, and mom was too busy with work and her own problems. Even if I did give her a dose of Addictol and some Surge to use at her discretion, she still didn't want to outright drop her therapy sessions, which I support her continued attendance of, since addiction was as much a social issue as it was a personal one.

"W-well, that. And you don't seem...happy. Or...anything." Taylor informed me, and I nodded.

"I may have...broke." I admitted, because what else was a Trigger Event but being broken? "I don't feel...anything, anymore. It was hard, adjusting." Still is actually. I may not feel irritation outside of very few situations, but I know I would be pulling my red hair at the roots before all this ever happened.

"Oh god. I'm so sorry." Taylor instinctively replied, and I shrugged. False empathy was an impulse to most people. She may not be responsible or be able to understand my plight, but she would, like most, instantly try to empathize. Only good people do that. I am not a good person by that definition alone.

"Don't be. Now, are you going to eat that?" I pointed at her unopened lunch as I tried for a self-deprecating fat joke, and Taylor snorted at my clear attempt at humor.

"Not if I get a muffin." Taylor teased, since muffins have always been a weakness for me since early childhood and she knew it.

"That could be arranged." I forced myself to smile, and considering her returning smile on those wide lips of hers, I knew it didn't fall flat this time. Progress.

[Pick Your Poison]

I got into the van behind the school, my mental checklist practically filled. I may not feel satisfaction anymore, but I could at least tally my victories in a mental approximation of it. Hess, Barnes, and Clements were clearly caught off-guard by both my own ability to completely ignore them in the halls, even reverse-tripping Hess when she tried it once, as well as Taylor's boost in confidence and ability to shrug them off. She just needed a friend, I only wish it didn't take losing my emotions to make me BE her friend.

Then there was the Rats and them managing to sneak gum into Madison's hair during a gang-up on Taylor, tripping Hess down the stairs, which was so beautifully ironic, and Barnes had her locker broken into, her belongings defaced. Of course, each of them tried to use the faculty in their defense, but each time the Rat who did it slunk away into the crowds without being identified. Several of them might not be all that unnoticable now, but a sea of bodies was a sea of bodies.

"Sup boss." Howard joked from his shotgun seat after I closed the door behind me, working on fitting on my costume from the duffle bag I'd left with my two lieutenants. Most of the seats in this van had been taken out so I had ample room to strip down to my undies and use the overhead blacklight to put on the first layer, my invisible bodysuit.

"How are things going today?" I asked casually as I pulled the legs of the bodysuit on, Rahj had already starting driving towards the fishery.

"You, uh...may need to deal with Kat." Rahj nervously said, and I paused as I had been pulling on a sleeve.

"What's wrong with Kat?" I demanded. I wish I was worried, but I am at least invested in her well-being. I have taken that unto myself by making her my test subject and assistant.

"She...uh...you'll see when we get there." Howard nervously deflected, and I put the rest of my bodysuit on, turning off the light so I could see through the now-invisible bodysuit.

"You are not providing any useful information." I commented as I pulled on my cargo pants, the thigh pockets stuffed with small deodorant cans laced with Air-No and Air-Yes on my right and left sides specifically.

"Kinda the point, we don't exactly know the full extent, just that she's been locked in Squealer's room and Mush is having to hold the door closed. She'd already cracked it by the time we came to get you." Rahj informed, and I finished putting on my hoodie, coat, and mask. I flipped the hood up and sat down in the only bench behind Rahj to put on my boots.

"Well if she's still moving at least she's not sick or hurt." I considered what it could be. She'd been growing the whole week she'd been on Surge. Getting stronger as well as all other sorts of things my pre-trigger self would have found enticing. Now I'm just considering I severely underestimated the human body's potential for growth.

"She may be sick." Howard admitted, and I went over in my head all of the possibilities the testing has laid out for me. I wasn't drawing any nasty conclusions, so I could only suppose she did something stupid. I remained silent as did my lieutenants until we got to the fishery and I promptly got out of the van the moment Rahj parked, and went straight for Squealer's room. Mush was visibly putting effort in his golem form to hold the shattered pieces of door in the frame, trash even morphing around and over it.

"Oh thank god! Get your damn Brute to cool her fucking gigantic tits!" Mush eloquently pleaded of me. I think calling them gigantic was a bit of a stretch. They may have been as big as the average person's head, but on a tall and muscular 6-foot woman like Kat, they seemed almost normal for her wide hip and shoulder frame.

"I heard that! I'm going to rip out your fucking prostate and feed it to you!" Kat's voice sounded behind the door, a sound of crunching wood followed along with a loud thud from the other side.

"Kat, you will do no such thing. Either calm down, or you will remain detained." I called out, I was wondering what was causing all this.

"I'm fucking starving! I've already drank my tits dry, I need more food!" So she's hungry? What's the big deal then?

"You ate all our fucking snacks! The guys on the food run aren't even back!" Mush informed me from screaming at the door.

"...Kat. What did you do?" I need information, does anyone know how to divulge Useful information?

"I...fuck. I may have...possibly...overdosed on Surge?" Kat asked more than said, and I had to bring my thoughts to a halt. We'd never tested what taking more than a single dose a day would do. I wasn't sure it wouldn't still cause cancer or mutation if too much was put in the body at once.

"Mush, let her out." I ordered my fellow cape, and he slowly, hesitantly, moved to the side, the door falling to the floor in pieces.

"Finally! Now I can probably just chug water while I wait for the food." I was...unable to process for a moment. Kathleen, who not even a day ago was only 6-feet tall, was now at least 7-feet tall, and of course, bigger all around. She looked like a bodybuilder or pro wrestler, her T-shirt and shorts were barely clinging to her, torn and stretched around her. As for her hair which was the biggest indicator of her growth, it had grown so long it was at least halfway down her back. Her eyes were clearly glazed over and the roar from her six-pack abdomen was obvious as to what the rapid growth was doing to her in terms of energy expenditure.

"...First of all, Addictol to clear your head. Second, no more Surge, I think this may be the warning the crew needs in case they decide to be equally stupid. Third, how can those not be hurting your back." I pointed at the huge bowling balls on her chest stretching her shirt, and she just gave a lopsided grin.

"Because I'm a damn brick house." Kat giggled for some reason and then groaned in hunger. "Where's the fucking food?!" Kat furiously demanded of Mush, who cowered away from the towering amazonian Brute of a young woman. How is this my life? Powers, you just make things more complicated.